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DC labor gets early jump on 2020 campaign

Virginia AFL-CIO launches "Labor In Session" website

Solidarity Center Report: Cambodia Casino Workers Win Big Gains

MLK Ball carries King's work forward

Today's Labor Quote: Martin Luther King, Jr

Today's Labor History

LABOR CALENDAR; [link removed] click here for latest listings

Union City Radio: 7:15am M-F; [link removed] WPFW 89.3FM

Metro Washington Council Delegate Meeting: Tue, January 21, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
AFL-CIO, 815 16th St NW, Washington, DC xxxxxx (Presidents Room)

Baltimore Chapter CLUW - General Membership Meeting: Tue, January 21, 5pm - 7pm
Baltimore Teachers Union AFT Local 340 5800 Metro Drive Baltimore, MD 21215

FMCS New Approaches to Dispute Management and Resolution: Wed, January 22, 11:30am - 1:15pm
Whittemore House at 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
[link removed] REGISTER HERE

Why Unions? Speak Out on Workers and the Church in the DC Area: Wed, January 22, 5pm - 8pm
Mortara Center, Georgetown University 3600 N Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20007
[link removed] RSVP on Facebook

Alexandria Dems Labor Caucus: Wed, January 22, 7:30pm - 9:30pm
618 S Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314

CSA "Bowling for Gold" Tournament: Sun, January 26
Crofton Bowling Centre, 2115 Priest Bridge Dr, Crofton, MD 21114
[link removed] Details/sign up here
photo: Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) delegation at Saturday's Women's March in DC.

DC labor gets early jump on 2020 campaign
Underlining the high priority labor is putting on turnout in the 2020 elections, Metro Washington Council affiliates gathered just two weeks into the new year to strategize for the year ahead. About a dozen representatives from Council affiliates met at the Teamsters 639 hall on January 16 for a conversation about the 2020 election season in DC, led by Council President Jackie Jeter. Topics included the critical importance of union involvement in this election season, as well as the calendar of events for the Council's endorsements of candidates, kicking off with the candidate education forum scheduled for Monday, February 3. The group also shared their legislative priorities, including issues in education, entertainment and health care and the most effective ways to get more union members involved in Labor 2020. Armed with this information, DC COPE will now fashion the labor questionnaire that will go out to DC City Council candidates by February 25. "All union members affiliated with the Metro Council are strongly encouraged to attend the monthly DC COPE meetings," said Metro Council Political Director David Stephen. The next meeting is Thursday, February 13, at 4:00 pm.
If you have any questions about the endorsement process or DC COPE, contact David Stephen at mailto:[email protected] [email protected]. photo by David Stephen.

Virginia AFL-CIO launches "Labor In Session" website
The Virginia AFL-CIO last week launched a new [link removed] "Labor In Session" website as the 2020 Virginia General Assembly session started. "We must take full advantage of this moment to push a robust pro-worker agenda focused on moving Virginia from the worst state for workers to the best," said Julie Hunter, Virginia AFL-CIO Campaign Manager. This website is designed to help empower union activists and allies to advocate for legislation that expands the right to organize, protects workers and raises wages. Activists can find and contact their State Senator and Delegate, take rapid action on legislation as it moves through committees and floor votes, and sign up to help lobby for labor at the General Assembly. The website also provides updates and talking points.

Solidarity Center Report: Cambodia Casino Workers Win Big Gains
Despite a difficult environment for workers, thousands of workers at NagaWorld hotel and casino complex in Cambodia won a wage increase that boosts pay between 18 percent and 30 percent and secured the reinstatement of union president Sithar Chhim, who was suspended from her job in September for union activism. Some 5,000 of the 8,000 workers--including dealers, slot machine workers and housekeepers--struck the casino January 9, and more than 4,000 rallied outside the complex for two days with signs saying "Demanding living wages is a right, not a crime!" Find out more at [link removed] Solidarity Center.

MLK Ball carries King's work forward
Congressman Jamie Raskin (D, MD 8th CD) spoke at the MLK Holiday Ball Sunday night at the Silver Spring Civic Building. The Ball was sponsored by the Labor Heritage Foundation and featured the DC Labor Chorus. Rev. Graylan Hagler, co-chair of the [link removed] Poor People's Campaign -- founded by Dr. King in 1968 --delivered an inspiring address, followed by music and lots of dancing, including a wonderful take-home keepsake, a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who would have been 91 this year.
- Saul Schniderman

Today's Labor Quote: Martin Luther King, Jr.

"You are demanding that this city will respect the dignity of labor. So often we overlook the work and the significance of those who are not in professional jobs, of those who are not in the so-called big jobs. But let me say to you tonight, that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth. One day our society must come to see this. One day our society will come to respect the sanitation worker if it is to survive, for the person who picks up our garbage, in the final analysis, is as significant as the physician, for if he doesn't do his job, diseases are rampant. All labor has dignity."

From a speech in support of the Memphis sanitation workers' strike, March 18, 1968.

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Today's Labor History

This week's [link removed] Labor History Today podcast: MLK: All Labor Has Dignity

On today's show, historian Michael Honey on "Wisconsin to Memphis: King's gospel of labor rights on the rebound," from the Michigan State University School of Human Resources and Labor Relations' "Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives" Brown Bag series. Also this week, Linda Donahue on the strike by 10,000 clothing workers in Rochester, NY.
Last week's show: (1/12): [link removed] UAW's Punch Press strike daily

Indian field hands at San Juan Capistrano mission refused to work, engaging in what was probably the first farm worker strike in California - 1826

Birth of Terence V. Powderly, leader of the Knights of Labor - 1849

The United Mine Workers of America is founded in Columbus, OH with the merger of the Knights of Labor Trade Assembly No. 135 and the National progressive Miners Union - 1890

Five hundred New York City tenants battle police to prevent evictions - 1932

- David Prosten

Material published in UNION CITY may be freely reproduced by any recipient; please credit Union City as the source for all news items and www.unionist.com as the source for Today's Labor History.

Published by the Metropolitan Washington Council, an AFL-CIO "Union City" Central Labor Council whose 200 affiliated union locals represent 150,000 area union members. JACKIE JETER, PRESIDENT.

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